Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Special Task Force has found that ganja cultivated in Naxal-affected areas of Odisha was transported to Madhya Pradesh for sale and was purchased by builders based in Bihar, officials said.
A few weeks ago, MP-STF seized a truck in Anuppur district fitted with multiple concealed compartments, in which 600 kg ganja worth around Rs 1.80 crore was hidden. The consignment was meant for supply to multiple states.
According to STF, the truck was scheduled to dump consignment in forests of Maihar district, from where it was to be distributed to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Investigations so far have revealed that Ara in western Bihar and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh are key centres from where large narcotics smuggling networks receive supplies. Drugs are originally sourced from Naxal-hit regions of Odisha, including Malkangiri.
STF teams conducting searches found vast stretches of illegal ganja cultivation deep inside jungles of Kotpad area in Koraput district of Odisha, which has long been a hotbed of armed Maoist cadres. Officials said two truck drivers from Sidhi and Satna districts were arrested.
Their interrogation led STF team to Jharkhand, resulting in arrest of a major cultivator, Ramesh Lal. He had invested Rs 42 lakh in procuring truck and modifying it with multiple chambers to facilitate safe drug smuggling. Further probe revealed that nucleus of racket was based in Ara town of Bihar. Bhupendra Singh, who claimed to be a builder, was allegedly operating interstate cannabis smuggling network with help of his key aide, Dilip Kumar.
Big money trail behind ganja haul
SP Rajesh Singh Bhadauria said Bhupendra paid Rs 35 lakh in advance to a middleman in Odisha for cannabis consignment that was to be smuggled to several eastern and northern states.
The accused was eyeing profits of Rs 3 to 4 crore from 600 kg ganja valued at about Rs 1.80 crore. He asaid that this was fourth such major consignment smuggled in past three months using same modified truck by Bhupendra s network.
